This invention relates to a system and method for a user to screen and control an incoming telephone call while the user is connected to a packet-switched data network such as the Internet.
Many Internet users today connect their computers to the Internet over their telephone lines. As more information and services are available over the World Wide Web on the Internet, users spend more time connected to the Internet and thus occupying their telephone lines. If an Internet user has only a single telephone line, callers trying to reach such a user can encounter a busy signal for extended periods of time. Available Call Waiting services that typically allow a subscriber to answer an incoming call from a second party while conversing with a first party cannot be used while a user is connected to an Internet call. The Internet connecting software requires that the call waiting service be temporarily deactivated. Thus, the user is unaware of the incoming call.
Some systems today allow a user to view information about an incoming call when the user is connected to the Internet. Such information, however, is often limited. Information about the incoming call is often unavailable because the caller is out of the user""s area or the caller has disabled the identification function. To answer the call, the user must disconnect from the Internet, and the call may turn out to be unimportant relative to the user""s Internet session. Or, the user may use an answering service to prompt the caller of the incoming call to leave a message. The user will be unable to review, however, the incoming message until some time after the Internet session is discontinued.
Thus, there is a need for a system that addresses the above-mentioned problems.
The present invention is defined by the following claims, and nothing in this section should be taken as a limitation on those claims. By way of introduction, the preferred embodiment described below includes a Call Alerting and Control System (CACS) that manages incoming calls from a calling party to an Internet user (xe2x80x9cuserxe2x80x9d) while the user maintains a connection to the Internet. CACS allows the user approximately real-time monitoring of information about an incoming call from a calling party. The information includes, for example, data about the calling party, and/or an opportunity for the user to listen to a calling party""s response to an answering machine type message. In addition, CACS allows the user to listen to caller""s voice before making further decisions about handling the call.
CACS operates within a communication environment. The communication environment includes a telephone network that receives incoming calls and determines whether the intended communication line is busy. If the telephone line of the user is busy, a Service Switching Point (SSP) included in the telephone network obtains instructions from the Service Control Point (SCP) for the incoming call. The SCP determines whether the user is connected to the Internet or the Internet-like packet-based data network. The SCP instructs the SSP to transfer the incoming call to a Gateway System if the user is connected to the Internet.
The CACS includes the Gateway System and a Client System. The Gateway System instructs the Client System to notify the user of the incoming call and prompts the user to choose a call handling option. For example, call handling options include the option of listening to the calling party who leaves a message while the user maintains a connection with the Internet. Thereafter, CACS manages the incoming call in accordance with a user-selected call handling option or with a preset default option after timeout period elapses for the user to indicate a selected option.
Further aspects and advantages of the invention are discussed below in conjunction with the preferred embodiments.